This invention relates to wet shaving systems using blade cartridges and particularly to razor handles adapted for engaging blade cartridges.
Most wet shaving systems available today use blade cartridges rather than blades alone as the replaceable elements of the system. The cartridges allow precise location and orientation of the blade in its support structure, and are even more necessary for the use of dual blade systems, where two cutting edges are located in a cartridge in a precise relationship.
A number of techniques are used for attaching cartridges to razor handles. One method is to provide the razor handle with a pair of spreadable jaws for engaging projections in the rear of the blade cartridge. The jaws are spread, the cartridge is inserted between the jaws, and the jaws are closed to engage the cartridge projections. Typically some mechanism in the razor handle is needed to spread apart the jaws for insertion and/or removal of the cartridge from the handle.
It is an object of this invention to provide a razor handle that is simple and easy to use both to attach the handle to a blade cartridge, and also to disengage the handle from a used blade cartridge. It is another object to provide a razor handle for engagement and disengagement of a blade cartridge that is inexpensive to manufacture. Another object is to provide a razor handle that is adapted to engage and disengage blade cartridges with a variety of surfaces, and to engage them securely and safely. Still another object is to provide a razor handle that may be used to convert pivotable cartridges, meant for handles that allow them to pivot during shaving, to the non-pivotable, or fixed, engagement that some users prefer.